


Crackshipping in my own gotdamn universe

by The Whale (DMM)



Series: Bits and Pieces of Liadultra [4]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alien Culture, Dorks, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Dancing, Social Anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-11-06 00:10:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17929022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DMM/pseuds/The%20Whale
Summary: Married Liadultrans wear bands on their right arms- matching their partners, that signify their relationship. Single Liadultrans who are seeking out romantic partners will wear a band of fabric or ribbon- as opposed to the plastic, glass or metal wedding bands- on each arm, with different colors signifying different preferences. Liadultran gay bandana code.So Flynn is very interested to see that K'fara, the god and embodiment of Liadultran magic himself, is wearing two bands of woven fabrics on each arm.





	Crackshipping in my own gotdamn universe

Liadultran marriage customs and traditions aren't too strange, thankfully. Married Liadultrans wear bands on their right arms- matching their partners, that signify their...bondage, partnership, relationship? The word isn't very well translated, as most things aren't. Though, an interesting thing that Flynn most recently found out, was that single Liadultrans who are seeking out romantic partners will wear a band of fabric or ribbon- as opposed to the plastic, glass or metal wedding bands- on each arm, with different colors signifying different preferences. Liadultran gay bandana code.    
  
So he is very interested to see that K'fara, the god and embodiment of Liadultran magic himself, is wearing two bands of woven fabrics on each arm. He is dressed in what Flynn could consider 'semi-casual’ or Maybe 'his Sunday best’. It's a gathering of all the Liadultran Spirits, so it's expected that he would be seen as no less than proper, and that's at the very least. So, of course, there's a chance he may have just been adding a little...flair.   
  
There's music that seems to come from the trees itself, a calming tune, at least for now, and while most of the divinities seem to be swaying in place, or grabbing a partner for a slow dance...K'fara is standing by himself. He's right at the edge of the forest, just close enough to the nearest lantern that the light catches in his jewelry, and on the slightly shimmery cloth of the bands just below his shoulder.    
  
Which is why Flynn had noticed at all, really.   
  
It hadn't been at all because he had been looking for K'fara, he had just...happened to catch his eye is all. That's it. But back to the point.   
  
Flynn is trying to figure out if K'fara is simply making a fashion statement, or if he is... looking for a partner.   
  
The Deity caught his gaze out of the corner of his eye and raised a rounded eyebrow. Eye contact was made, and Flynn wasn't too sure what to do. K'fara just gazed at him curiously a moment, or maybe he was amused. The mouth he had chosen for this form added a slightly smug tone to every expression, making him just that much harder to read. He tilted his head, inviting Flynn over to his little, shaded corner and the man almost had the urge to glance over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't looking at anyone else (it was hard to tell with how dark the Gods eyes were). Flynn hesitated another moment, mind racing unreasonably, but K'fara was patient and waited until he made his way over. Awkward, stilted and slow as it was.   
  
“It's Uh-- It's nice out tonight.” The man said, the glare of his glasses was hiding his eyes but did nothing to obscure his expression, all nerves. It was too bad that he didn't have the option to just change the shape of his face.   
  
“Indeed.” K'fara nodded gently, and looked back out onto the clearing, watching as M'hilj twirled with Untal, their skirts catching pleasantly in the light “The gatherings are scheduled so that the days are agreeable-- Would you like a drink?” He asked suddenly and returned his gaze to the man, one eyebrow raised.   
  
“Y-- Uh...A drink.” Flynn states, befuddled “Uh-- I- I mean I saw the drinks here, of course just--” K'fara's tail curls languidly behind them both as his friend stutters his way into what he actually wants to say “I--hm-- Are they...Safe? To drink?” K'fara raises his other eyebrow and Flynn quickly amends “Safe to drink for mortals?” he pauses, and before he can answer, he adds “And why? Uh...why are you offering me a drink? Sorry.”    
  
The God chuckles “You are quite alright. Yes, the drinks are safe, though…” he sends Flynn a cheeky look “... I'd suggest..the lighter selection for you. And to answer your other question...” K'fara readjusts his stance, standing upright a moment, staring back out to the clearing “...You seemed Anxious.” Flynn nods, swallowing dryly, and also looks back out into the clearing, watching the dancing deities glisten and sway under the moonlight.   
  
“I'm-- Yes. That's Uh-- very uh...very observant of you. Th-That is to say...I am anxiety-- anxious..I'm anxious.” Flynn scratches the back of his neck “..I'd like a drink, Thank you K'fara.” The divine chuckled in response, unfolding his hands to gently lead Flynn forward.   
  
“Let us go get one for you then.” He takes a step ahead, then pauses, turning back to Flynn, his tail flicking just above the ground, quills brushing the grass “...You do know you can call me Karma, right?”    
  
“Uh-- suppose I..could.” he says carefully, pressing his fingers together in an effort to avoid wringing his hands “..I assumed it was ah...insulting. since Iye wasn't allowed to, I didn't think I was either..”    
  
“...You are allowed to.” He said simply and started off again, arms tucked behind his back as if he expected Flynn to just follow him like some sort of duckling.   
  
He was right, but nonetheless.   
  
The press of dancers seemed to part for K'fara--...Karma. Out of respect maybe, or simply they just didn't enjoy running into each other. They reached the buffet counter at the other end of the clearing. Karma made his way to one end of the table, where large clay and silver pitchers rested on the table. Flynn doubted he could lift one if he wanted to.   
  
“...Those are the light drinks..?” Flynn took a few long steps to catch up with his friend, catching an amused chuckle from the other.   
  
“This is all juice...and perhaps water, though if not, that's an easy fix.” He said, “The alcohol is at the other end of the table, however, I assure you, that's not what you want.” Flynn just nodded, taking his word for it, and watched as Karma easily lifted one of the pitchers, pouring it into a colored glass.   
  
“ah uh...Th-Thank You-- I..” well, he actually knows for a fact he couldn't have done it himself, so he just takes the glass as it's passed to him and keeps his mouth shut.    
  
He follows Karma to the edge of the clearing again, not the same one he had started off in, just to the side of the table, to avoid the now-lively crowd of dancing revelers. The music had picked up a bit, and he could hear shouts of laughter as the gods whirled and skipped, skirts flaring and jewelry flashing as they caught the light of the lanterns. The comparative peace of his shared corner and the 'juice’ (which tasted suspiciously like citrus tea) seemed almost comically contrasting. He looked up at Karma, who had reverted back to his usual stance. Chin upright, Noble, arms folded and tail lazily curling behind him as he looked onwards at the crowd. In a smug, or amused way, of course. Even if all the Gods were equal here, it was still hard to clear the general air of superiority that Karma had a tendency to ooze everywhere.   
  
Said smug asshole looked down at him, and Flynn again averted his gaze “...You uh…. Are you going to dance with the others? They...look like they're having a lot of fun.” Karma takes a second to consider this, long enough that Flynn actually starts to become scared of the answer.   
  
“...No.” He says, slowly, as if he's actually still thinking on it “...If someone asks me... Perhaps.” For a moment he looks as though he is going to continue, but just nods to himself, and falls silent again. Flynn tries to come up with another topic.   
  
“What are you wearing?” He blurts, and almost instantly regrets it as Karma turns to level him with a Look “n-No! No-- that-- no that wasn't Uh-- I'm s-sorry That wasn't what I meant--” Karma's brows unfurrow, and he hums a bit, tilting his head, again waiting patiently for Flynn to finish “Uh-- What-- well what I meant to say was Ah-- well..” he points to the bonds on his shoulders “Wh-what are Uh--” he just kinda stops there, and thankfully his friend gets the gist.   
  
“I'm surprised you don't know, Doctor,” Karma says instead of answering, one eyebrow raised.   
  
“Uh--” Flynn thinks of another way to rephrase it that won't sound too nosey “I- I do..but ah...I just...want to make sure. That-- I want to make sure we didn't get lost.” He pauses “...In translation.”    
  
“Well, what do you think they mean?” His tail flicks jerkily, not an angry movement, but no longer calmly disturbing the grass, it's enough to make Flynn wonder if he's upset him “...I will correct you if I think it's needed.”    
  
“...I-- Uh...hm.” he lets his gaze rest on Karma's tail, instead of his face, it's just easier “..Ah-- Don't Uh-- Liadultrans...uh..outside of a relationship...looking to be in a relationship, wear bands on each arm r-right?” He says slowly, watching for any signs of Karma being upset, or disappointed maybe, but when he glances up the deity seems pleased, if anything.   
  
“Yes.” He says simply, and leaves it at that for a moment.   
  
“S-so are you…?” Flynn trails off, childishly afraid to say it out loud for some reason. A god? Looking for a relationship? How does that work? Are there standards, rules that one would need to know? He's asking for himself, he's curious and wants to know.   
  
“...” Karma stays quiet, turns back to the clearing, and Flynn's confused at first, but sighs after a moment, counting the questions he's asked in the past half hour.   
  
“...Seven.” he sighs finally, and finishes off his citrus-tea-juice “...I'll remember to be smarter with my questions tomorrow.” He mumbles, and Karma chuckles.   
  
“I'm sure you will.”   
  
They're silent for a long time, watching the whirling mass of colors and gold react and move in tandem with the music. At some point, there's more juice in his cup, and he doesn't know where it came from exactly, but it's not too hard to guess which magic-wielder would refill his cup for him. He doesn't manage to finish it before Karma suddenly turns, bowing at the waist, one hand outstretched towards him, palm up.   
  
“May I have this dance?”    
  
Flynn wasn't paying attention but realizes the music has gone slow again, it almost sounds like a waltz this time. Some people had retreated from the clearing and now sit near the sidelines. He looks back towards the field and... it's not nearly as crowded as it had started off as, but there are still enough people that they couldn't possibly bother to focus on him and his probably terrible dancing.   
  
He turns back to Karma, who again, has been patiently waiting for a response. Flynn flushes, quite a bit late to the party (literally) and hesitantly places his palm over Karma's “Uh-- Y-yeah? I suppose so. I'm not too terribly good at dancing Though--” suddenly his half-empty cup disappears, and he watches it flicker in Karma's free hand before it's on the table. As if it had simply always been there.    
  
“Wonderful.” Karma takes a firm hold of his hand, and stands upright again, leading him into the crowd. His skin is cooler than Flynn expected, not frigid, but like he's been sitting under a fan for a few hours late at night and he hasn't had a chance to warm yet.    
  
They both slow to a stop somewhere towards the center, hidden by the other figures around them, and Karma takes a moment to get a hold of Flynn's other hand, nudging the man's feet into position with his own as he intwines their fingers. Flynn is quickly flustered but he's cool, he has a total poker face, definitely, no one will be able to tell.    
  
“..Are you sure you wouldn't prefer to go back and sit down?” He looks back up at Karma, who has managed to tilt his head so his ever-present vulpine smirk seems a little more serious. It's impressive, Flynn is impressed.    
  
“hmm-- Uh-hm. No? N-no. I-- I’m Alright I'm just…” he's flustered, and Karma's skin feels nice and smooth in a worn-down sandpaper-y kind of way that makes Flynn want to rub his hands all over his face which is weird, even for Liadultrans who are notoriously handsy and bad at personal space “I'm worried about my dancing.”   
  
“Don't be.” Karma responds as if it's just that simple “The song is slow, I will guide you if you need it." Flynn nods and lets Karma correct his stance again, before pulling him into action as the song repeats it's medley.   
  
Karma is fluid, practically made out of grace and control as he leads Flynn into turns and steps that almost send him stumbling to the sidelines. But each time, he's caught. Sometimes Karma will gently correct him with a brush of his tail, pulling his hands every so slightly to help him balance or he simply guides him into another spin, starting the sequence over again. And eventually, Flynn gets the hang of it. He's certainly not graceful by any means, but he's not tripping over himself any longer, and he's able to focus on other things, trusting his partner to catch him if (when) he falls.   
  
He nervously checks the other dancers around him...no one's even peeping in his direction. Not so much as a sideways glance. Which is great, it's fantastic. Flynn lets himself relax a tad more and adds a little flair to his step on the next twirl, listening- and almost feeling as Karma chuckles quietly. And that's the next place he looks, to Karma. First admiring the up-close view of his clothes. There are tiny details in the fabric that he hadn't had the chance to look at before; Swirling patterns with miniscule threads of gold scattered sparingly throughout. The bands on his shoulders, shining gently in the light, almost a sheer fabric, now that he looks properly at them. And then to his earrings, shining much more vibrantly with gold and gems that shine green and purple. He's not sure how Karma manages to pull off completely contrasting colors, but in Flynn's unprofessional opinion, he does it well.  They dance to the end of the song, and when Karma guides him back to the sidelines, he realizes that his legs are sore. He had barely bothered to care in the head of the moment, but now he almost feels as though he may just fall over.   
  
He promptly does so, tripping over his left leg- which had finally decided to give up- and he's taken by such surprise, that he doesn't even make a sound, just catches himself with his elbows last second, saving his face from a particularly nasty stone, with a sharp edge that sticks up out of the dirt.   
  
Karma, on the other hand, made a strange, squeaky-chirping noise, and swiftly picked him up “Flynn!” he brushes the dirt off of Flynn's elbows, tutting, and inspects the doctor for any damage “Are you alright?” Flynn manages a tight nod, and upon looking around, no one seems to have seen him fall, or at least, no one cared if they did. Karma doesn't seem satisfied with his answer though, and taps the side of his face as if trying to get his attention “Are you alright?” He asks again, insistently “What Happened?”   
  
“uh-- mhm.” He nods, firmer this time “I'm-- Yea- yes. I'm okay. I just tripped, Karma, I'm fine...If-- aheh, I think uh..my dignity was the only thing that took the beating, this time.” he offers an awkward smile, and Karma seems to relax a bit, standing upright again, though he doesn't let go of Flynn's arm yet. Not that he minds.   
  
“Ah.” He squints as if amused, and picks a blade of grass off of Flynn's coat sleeve “...I see. Unfortunately, that is a wound I cannot heal, I wish you luck in your recovery.” Flynn almost gets the feeling that he's being teased, but as soon as he gets the balls to actually ask, Karma's pressing his Citrus-tea-juice into his hand again, and suddenly there's a bench just behind him. Isn't magic just fucking wild? Across the clearing, he sees Untal fall to the ground from where she was...squatting in place? Bizarre. He takes a sip of his 'Juice’ as he sits down on the new bench. Karma seems content to stand, and Flynn's content to let him do whatever the hell he wants. Not his legs, he doesn't care.   
  
“Are you going to sit down?” He asks because he cares just a little. Karma turns to look at him over his shoulder, smug aura returning full force “...Seven questions. Right.”    
  
Karma nods, but turns towards him a little more “...Did you enjoy the dance?” He asks, earnestly as far as Flynn can tell, and he finds himself marveling over his friend's concern.   
  
“... Uh. Yeah. yes.” He smiles, to further his point. Karma seems pleased by the gesture “I did..very much actually, thank you.”    
  
Karma tilts his head up, managing to look even more smug, and turns back towards the slowly tiring company of dancers “Good.” He says, quietly, then louder he adds “Then I promise you, that next time I will invite you to dance as well.”   
  
“Mhm, Thank you.” Flynn takes a sip of his drink, and nearly chokes on it about a second later “Wait-- hold on-- um-- K-Karma.” the god turns to him again, one eyebrow raised “Did-- y-You  _ promise _ ?”    
  
Karma seems amused, and titters a little, tail twisting “Yes, I  _ promise _ .” He confirms, turning again and folding his arms behind his back.    
  
Flynn starts wondering if something's gotten lost in translation. Or if Karma's completely sure of what he's saying. After all, the implications of words change in all languages over time, maybe there's a slight miscommunication happening somewhere. Promises on Liadultra tend  to be just a  _ little _ more romantic in connotation than they are on Earth. Just a tad, a smidge really. Or at least that's what they had told him in class.   
  
He'll just have to wait until his seven questions tomorrow, and until then, he'll finish his juice, watch the dance, and try to calm his heart before he has a palpitation.


End file.
